Heat transfer equipment



March 28, 1950 F. M. STEPHENS HEAT TRANSFER EQUIPMENT Filed July 7, 1947 mm x W W fin Patented Mar. 28, 1950 2,501,795 HEAT TRANSFER EQUIPMENT Foster M. Stephens, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to The Fluor Corporation, Ltd., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporationof California,

Application July 7, 1947, Serial No. 759,351

This invention relates to improvements in air cooled heat transfer equipment of the general type employed in industrial plants for the cool-' ing of fluids, and comprising one or more units, depending on the required cooling load, each including an assembly of fluid cooling tubes in the path of a mechanically displaced air stream.

Heretofore, such equipment has been made in the form of a housing structure containing'a chamber through which an upward flow of air is created by a fan positioned below cooling tubes mounted above the fan.

One of my present objects is to depart from the conventional types of construction in a manner utilizing the induction effect of a primary or relatively high velocity air stream to create a secondary air flow into the cooling chamber. Also contemplated is a diiierent relation between the position of the cooling tubes and location of high velocity air discharge into the chamber, whereby the high velocity stream is directed upwardly from above the tubes to induce a fiow of secondary air upwardly against them, thus permitting the tubes to be positioned relatively low in the chamber and avoiding the structural disadvantages and expense of having to support them at a higher elevation.

The invention further contemplates an arrangement particularly adaptable and advan- 5 Claims. (01. 25;7 1a7) ill tageous for the displacement of air by a blower :7"

as distinguished from a conventional open blade fan. Using an air blower, the primary air may be so directed at high velocity within a reduced or Venturi-shaped upper section of the chamber, as to induce the flow of a relatively high quantity of secondary air into the chamber.

The above mentioned as well as various additional features and objects of the invention will be further explained in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment shown by the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the unit in vertical section; and

Fig. 2 is a plan section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The single .unit illustrated comprises a chamber I0 formed by a wall structure comprising a vertically extending lower section I I above which the walls 12 at all four sides of the unit converge upwardly to a stack I3. Qpposite side walls of the lower section II have air intake openings I4 occupied by screens I5. As will be understood, depending upon the cooling load in any given installation, the equipment may consist of a single unit as illustrated, or a continuous series of units having adjacent or common side walls H with the air inlets I4 series.

Chamber I0 contains a suitable number of fluid cooling tubes IE arranged, for example, in banks I! having headers I8 supported by and at the top of the lower, wall section I I. Fluid to be cooled enters the tube banks through inlet is discharged upwardly through the chamber I0 by a rotary blower 22 positioned within the base. of the structure and driven by the motor 23. The;

blower is connected with a vertically positioned discharge conduit 23 extending upwardly through the bafiie 2| and positioned centrally within the chamber in axial alinement with the stack I3. The conduit 24 may be connected to the blower by any type of joint at 26 permitting disconnection and removal of the blower without dis-. turbing the conduit. The latter has an upper,

nozzle shaped end 25 from which the air is discharged in a course or pattern having such relation to the convergent walls I 2 and stack I3 as to create a Venturi effect and resulting induction of secondary air through the inlets I4. As will be understood, by virtue of this arrangement, the volume of secondary air may be high in relation to the quantity of air displaced by the blower.

As previously indicated, the illustrated relation between the position of the nozzle 25 and the convergent upper section of the chamber, with the nozzle being positioned above the tube banks, permits the latter to be mounted at a low elevation. Consequently it is made possible to avoid the higher construction cost necessitated in the ordinary situation where the tube banks must be supported at a relatively high elevation, and at the same time to aiiord equal or greater strength and rigidity in the tube bank supporting walls using conventional dimensions and materials.

In operation, the relatively high velocity air discharge from the nozzle 25 into the upper constricted section of the chamber, induces by a Venturi action, air flow in proportionately greater quantities through both of the inlets I 4 upwardly between the tubes. The induction of air is further aided by the effect of the stack IS. the height of which may be selected to cause 7 2 V at the outer sides of the v maximum air induction at any given rate of air discharge from the nozzle 25.

I claim:

1. Air cooled heat exchange equipment comprising walls enclosing a vertically extending chamber open at opposite sides of its lower inlet end to receive atmospheric air, fluid cooling tubes within said chamber, an atmospheric air blower below said tubes, and a discharge conduit extending upwardly from the blower to a central locathat. airdischarged from the conduit induces a flow'of air into the chamber through an inletbelow the tubes and thence upwardly between the tubes and through the chamber.

3. Air cooled heat exchange equipment comprising Walls enclosing a vertically extending:

chamber open at opposite sides of its lower inlet end to' receive atmospheric air, horizontally ex.- tending banks of' fluid cooling tubes within said chamber; an. atmospheric air blower below said tubes, a. discharge conduit: extending upwardly from the blower between and to a centrallocation inthe chamber above the tube banks so that air dischargedfrom the conduit induces a flow of air into the' chamber through an inlet below the tubes. and. thence upwardly between the tubes and through thechamber, andbaffle walls between the tube banks at oppositesides ofthe conduit;

4. Air: cooled heat exchange equipment com.- prising: walls enclosing a vertically extending chamber having an upwardly convergent portion 48 andiopen at opposite sides'of its lower-inlet end to receive atmospueric air, horizontally positioned 4 banks of fluid cooling tubes within the chamber below said convergent portion thereof, an atmospheric air blower below said tubes, and a d1scharge conduit extending upwardly from the blower between and to a location above the tube banks and centrally within the chamber so that air discharged upwardly from the conduit into said; convergent portion of the; chamber induces a flow of air into the chamber through an inlet below the tubes and thence upwardly between the tion in the chamber above the tubes so that air 1 "tubes and through the chamber.

5. Air cooled heat exchange equipment comprising walls enclosing a vertically extending chamber having an upwardly convergent portion and a reduced cross-sectional area top stack section, said chamber being open at opposite sides of. itstlowerinlet-end to receive atmospheric air, horizontally positioned banks of fluid cooling tubeswithin the chamber below said convergent portion thereof, an atmospheric air blower below said tubes; and a. discharge-v conduit extending: up-

wardlyirom-the blowerbetweenandto a location, above) the tube; banks: and, centrally within the;

chamber: so: that air discharged upwardly from a the conduit. into said. convergent portion of the chamber induces a flow of air' into the chamber through; an: inlet below the tubes and thence upwardly between the tubes and through the chamber.

.- FOSTER M. STEPHENS.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferenCesare of record in the file ofthis patent:

UN ITED' STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,861,812 Modine June 7, 1932 2,144,466 Stikeleather Jan. 17, 1939 2;158;'758' Lintern May 16, 1939' 2,215,901 Christman Sept. 24, 1940 231013918" Elder et al. June 11, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number. Country Date 3,79,4'30 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1932 

